


Dancing Among the Stars

by sweet_potato



Series: The Chronicles of Kuroo Tetsurou's Bad Fairy Tales [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, One Shot, Open for Surprise, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-08 06:43:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16424390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweet_potato/pseuds/sweet_potato
Summary: Kuroo loves writing stories about himself. A common love story of himself and Kei who dances around the stars





	Dancing Among the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever story for the fandom after lurking in the shadow for as long as I can remember.
> 
> Generously beta-ed @kurootsuki  
> who, without her, I probably would never write in the first place.  
> Sorry in advance for my mistakes ><

Kuroo Tetsurou loves stories. He loves all kinds of stories. Bed time stories, epic battle stories, common slice of life stories, sci-fi stories, even cringey badly told romance stories. He loves them all. He even has his own corner for a mini library of his collections.

Over the years, he has collected so many types of books. From Dicken to Dostoevsky, from Shakespeare to Akutagawa, from Odyssey to One Piece, from Pride and Prejudice to Twilight. He really loves them all. 

Kuroo loves them all. He loves reading them while lying in his bed at night or sitting in his little couch while it’s raining outside. He loves listening or watching how the stories are told. He loves retelling it and sees the anticipation from his listener. Kenma calls him dramatic, he calls it living in the story.

Kuroo loves stories. He loves being inside one. He loves making his own one.

***

  


And it’s a common story he writes about himself.  
Of his love.

***

  


The smell of sweat, the bright rays of the sun, the fatigue in his knees, the thrill runs wild in his veins, _"we are like the blood in our veins. We must flow without stopping. Keep the oxygen moving and your mind working,"_ are vivid in his head. When he closes his eyes, he can see the same view dancing around, behind his eyelids, clear frame by frame. Teleporting him back to those merry days far behind.

Oh sweet sweet memories of youth.

He mutes his television, the recording of his last spring tournament is half way played. He will be scolded. Kei surely will scold him if he finds out Tetsurou leaves their television on before he sleeps.

***

  


Everytime he sees a blob of blond hair, he instantly turns. Sometimes, it happens without him realizing. Sometimes, it also happens with his full conscience. It’s like turning on a switch.

“Stop glancing around or I’ll think you're cheating on me”

“I've been thinking about this... your hair is very light”

“You just realized it now? After all these times?”

“Well I’m sorry for only realizing its beauty for like a long time ago,” Tetsurou sticks out his tongue and puts his best impersonation of kitty eyes he can muster.

“Huh. What do I do with you? If we can only do something with your _hair._ "

“Oya oya! You love it though!”

“Stop being delusional"

“Says someone who keeps caressing my hair when I sleep. Don’t think I don’t know!,” Testsurou says with a rising voice. Over his experience, he knows, it adds that dramatic effect he wants. “I know all things about you, my dear dear moon of my night”

Kei deadpanned looking at him “I thought I saw a big bug in your hair”

“Stop lying! Why are you so insistent on being this _dere dere_ character when I know perfectly well that you love all things about me including my hair?” he gives Kei his best wink. “Next time, do it when I'm still awake.”

“The next customer please,” the ticket lady in front of them sweetly says.

“It’s our time. Come on!”

“I'll let it go this time because you look cute in my shirt”

Kei tries so hard to hide the blush in his cheeks by looking straight ahead. It fails though, Tetsurou still sees the beautiful shade in his neck. Tetsurou doesn’t want anything more but to put his lips on it and worship it.

 _Calm down raging hormones! Not here, not in public._ Or Kei will seriously sulk and stay in Yamaguchi’s like he had done before.

He still doesn’t understand why Kei is so angry though.

What’s wrong by getting down on his knees and sing praises for the one you love? He thinks there's nothing wrong with it. Especially when the one he loves is someone like the embodiment of gold from El Dorado. Bokuto thinks nothing is wrong either.

See! Those onlookers are just jealous.

Well, even if he does that, they are in the middle of crossing a poolside, he still thinks nothing wrong of it.  
In his defense, Kei looks absolutely stunning in his short – _short_ – shorts. Which is absolutely short. No, no, no, Tetsurou means Kei is absolutely stunning, so he needs to get down on his knees and praise him because that's how it’s supposed to be. Definitely not to show that Kei is his. Definitely not that.

***

  


People say diamond is the supreme symbol of love. Tetsurou thinks it’s only a stone, a super pricey blink blink stone.  
People say chocolate is as sweet as love. Tetsurou thinks it’s only a marketing strategy, why should he buy an overpriced chocolate box on the 14th of February when he can buy the same box half price the next week?

Over many things that exist in the world, including diamonds and chocolates, Tetsurou can’t find a single object that can represent how much his love for Kei is. As cliché as it sounds, if Tetsurou can give the world for Kei, he will. In a heartbeat.

So, instead of finding that one object to represent his love, he gives all these little things that reminds himself of Kei. The red strawberry cushion lays peacefully in their bedroom, a moon printed cup sits mightily beside his cat printed one above their fridge, matching gold coloured gloves they always wear when winter comes – they also have a fish patterned knit for a spare –, T-rex shaped night lamp – Tetsurou still often finds himself shit scared when the first thing he sees after opening his eyes is a big T-rex shadow on their wall –, and all little mundane things scattered in every nook and cranny of their apartment.

It’s never intentional though. He just sees something and immediately thinks of Kei. When he is in that state, never mind being inside a moving bus, even if he's shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth, he will leave and do all possible means to have that thing. For Kei.

That’s how he finds himself standing in front of the cashier inside a small florist downtown.

Tetsurou observes the polite lady closely. It’s mesmerizing. She handles the flowers in her hands cautiously and gentle, like it’s some sacred ritual and not just some wrapping process. She holds the stems tenderly like how someone will hold a diamond. She caresses the petals softly like how Kei caresses his hair when he thinks Tetsurou has slept.

“Here it is”

Tetsurou accepts the flowers and puts it carefully in his hand. He doesn’t want any bag. He won’t put something the florist so carefully arranged inside a closed place. He will show the world how beautiful it is.

“Thank you. It’s so beautiful”

“It’s more beautiful in your handsome hands”

“I will take extra care to protect this lady”

“You better be. I hope your girlfriend will be happy receiving that”

“Well….I hope my _boyfriend_ will be happy receiving it”

Tetsurou has dealt with varied reactions over his confession, the common judging ones, the disgusted ones, the disdain one, the understanding, and the rare beaming once in a while. The polite lady in front of him shows a little smile and a misplaced guilty in her eyes.

“I’m sorry that you have to deal with many unpleasantries. Love is love whatever the form,” Tetsurou beams at her. “I hope your boyfriend likes it,” she adds firmly.

“Thank you, that’s so nice of you”

“You choose rather exceptional flowers yourself”

Tetsurou can’t help but chuckle.

“Roses are too cliché,” he gazes the flowers briefly. “Besides, it has nice colour like my boyfriend’s hair."

“Your boyfriend must be exceptional himself.”

“He is!” if only the world was filled with this kind of lady.

“Italian white has nice meaning too”

“Is that so? I didn’t know. I should check it later”

Tetsurou only manages to search the meaning long after he has handed the flowers to Kei, who accepts it with a teasing grin and concealed mirth in his eyes.

  


Italian white, I will keep thinking of you.

***

  


“You're not going to join us?!!” Bokuto’s booming voice comes from his speaker. He has to thank his survival instincts for putting it right away from his ear before.

“I can’t. Date with Kei”

“Always like that! Ever heard of bros before hoes code?”

“Watch your words. Kei is no a hoe”

“I mean, it’s a bro code Tetsu!”

“Sorry to disappoint you, my bro!”

“Both of you are living together already! You can meet each other every day, every night, every morning!”

“So?”

“FINE!! But you will join us another time! Promise me!”

“Yes, yes, I promise”

“It’s a deal! Give my regard to Tsukki!”

“I will. Have fun”

***

  


As it turns out, they have to cancel their date because he forgets to make a reservation in their favourite restaurant.

Kei isn't even mad at him, he just exhales a long breath before sauntering to their storage room and brings out a folded blanket.

“Let’s go on a picnic outside. The sky looks beautiful tonight, I saw on my way home"

“Keiiiiiiii!!! You are the best boyfriend ever!”

The concept of a picnic outside is not really a picnic outside. The concept for most people must be setting a mat in the park ground, or on a river bank, or any other solid earth surface.

Tetsurou’s and Kei’s picnic outside is setting a mat in their small 6th floor balcony. Technically, it’s still outside. And on a mat.

In his guilty opinion, their impromptu picnic is really not bad. It’s even better than going out to their favourite restaurant. Both Kei and himself maybe look well off, but the place is still pricey.

The night sky really looks nice, no clouds in sight, just the stars shining brightly above them. He hopes he can catch a shooting star to wish that his little safe haven keeps continuing for all years ahead. 

Both him and Kei are sitting silently in their not really big and uncomfortable mat. It’s a cheap cost to pay for this much happiness.

Kei’s head is in Tetsurou’s shoulder and their hands intertwined together. Once in while he brings their clasped hands to his lips and presses little kisses in Kei’s knuckles.  
He doesn’t trust his words to convey how happy he is. If he opens his mouth, at most he will say he’s absolutely very happy. What he feels, is more than that. Way more than that.  
So instead, he kisses Kei’s knuckles softly and deeply. He trusts Kei to understand him.

Once in a while, Kei also turns his head and peppers his neck with little kisses himself as a sign that, _yes_ , Kei does understand.

Tetsurou brings his eyes back upward, among these billions of stars and this big cruel world, what had he done in his previous life to deserve such happiness in this lifetime?

Kei takes their intertwined hands toward his heart.

The warmth seeps between their body and their synchronised beating hearts, Tetsurou once again falls deeper for his most precious possession. His world.

None of them inclines to disrupt this little eternity between them.

Tetsurou idly thinks, he won’t really mind if the world collides and death finds them here. He has known and tasted all happiness in the world.

Tetsurou's hand tightens inside his _world's_ grasp.

***

  


“You changed it”

“I did”

Tetsurou sits comfortably on their bed and ready to close the book in his hand because any moment, Kei is ready to fall in his arms.

“I prefer the old one”

“I think _T-san_ is tired seeing both of us every night”

T-san is the name for their t-rex shaped night lamp.

“Stop naming things in our apartment”

“You're the one who started it by naming our bathrobe!”

It wasn't Kei. It's Tetsurou. It's Tetsurou who started it all by naming their bathrobe because he's too jealous of _Furu-kun_ that always holds Kei’s wet body. He never thought that he'll go that low, but he never got jealous this much before, moreover of a bathrobe.

“I can’t believe you”

“Come here. You took too long in the bathroom. I miss you already”

He puts his book aside and pats the empty bed beside him. Kei approaches him while looking over their new night lamp. It’s definitely more beautiful than their old scary T-rex one.

“I can’t believe you. Of all things, Polaris?”

“They say Polaris will never fail to guide you home, wherever you are.”

When he bought it, he only thought the celestial shaped night lamp would be a lot better in their bedroom wall than the T-rex they have. He only realizes it’s Polaris when he set it up earlier.

“Well, it’s because Polaris is-”

Tetsurou cradles Kei’s face and kisses him softly.

“Shuuushhh. They say" he softly says "Polaris never fails to guide you home. If I am ever lost, if I stray from my path, if the night is too dark for me to find direction, may this Polaris guide me to the place where I belong. Here. With you.”

Tetsurou whispers the last part straight into Kei’s ear.

Kei feels his body shudder.

“Uggghhhh. It’s a wonder how I haven’t gotten cavities yet”

“I love you, Kei”

“Yes, yes, I love you too”

For how much Kei tries to pretend hating this side of him, his eyes will never fail telling Tetsurou the truth. Kei’s eyes will dilate and a thin layer of tear will always glaze over them.

“I love you”

“I know, I love you too. You kept reminding me that over and over again. Even if I want to forget it, I’m sure I can’t."

But Kei always says it back as much as Tetsurous says it too.

***

  


“ **YO!!** You finally showed up!!”

“Your hair is still horrible as always Bokuto”

“Say someone whose hair is worse than mine!!”

“Kei loves it”

“HA! He _loved_ it!” Bokuto whole body is in halt “Ah! Sorry…. I……”

"Hahahaha, you are right. He loved it. Has everyone arrived?”

“…………….”

“Come on, stop sulking! You didn’t say anything wrong. Has everyone arrived?”

“Yeah. Daichi and Suga are inside, and everyone else.”

“Come on, let’s get in then. What are you waiting for?”

They enter the room together, like all the years before. Bokuto always waits for him outside and never leaves his side like all the years before.  
Bokuto never moves too close nor goes too far. Always there. In arm reach anytime Tetsurou needs him.

  


FOURTH REMEMBRANCE EVENT  
In Loving Memory, Japan Youth Volleyball Team.  
1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.  
6.  
7\. Tsukishima Kei  
8.  
9.  
…..

***

  


It is a plane crash.

Almost a common accident. Winter, thick snow, hard wind, storm.

It’s a plane crash.

Not some meteor clash or alien invasion. Or nuclear bomb or raining bullets.

It’s a plane crash.

But it’s a world clash for Tetsurou.

  
  


He always wonders whether Polaris will still guide him the way to the place where Kei is.

***

  


Five stages of grief, people say, consists of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Tetsurou’s stage of grief doesn’t consist that many stages. It’s only one.

As Kei is gone, so is Tetsurou.

No more stages.

  


He may still live.

His breath still puffs and creates white mist in the winter.

His heart still beats inside his ribcage.

But that is not Tetsurou.

That is a body called Tetsurou.

There is nothing inside. Just a dark void that resembles his soul.

***

  


Tetsurou puts a bouquet of Italian whites on the cold grey stone in front of him.

This place is still the same as last year.

The street lamp is still flickering, dim yellow. Not enough to brighten the whole place but enough to show the way.

Tetsurou isn’t sure whether the sun can even brighten this place, for the things lying here are someone’s hope, someone’s dream, someone’s world.

Someone’s life.

It’s probably the reason why he likes to visit in the night.

It’s not like it will bring any difference, the darkness inside his life stays the same after all. But when night comes, when sometimes the moon is high in the sky and Polaris shines bright in the north, he is reminded that his life was once bright and happy. 

Tetsurou stands still in front of the grey stone he has memorized by heart now.

It's another night where he feels like the world is pitying him. Snow falls lightly to add dimness in this place. It starts to pile in some places and turning this place into a white eerie hollow place.

Like his heart.

Around him, fireflies dance beautifully between him and his used to be world, still his world, far away beneath his feet.

It’s so unfair for something so beautiful look so dull in his eyes.

Tetsurou puts down his umbrella and crouches down beside the cold hard stone. He caresses the beautiful calligraph curved neatly above the tombstone.

His name is Kei, with character for firefly, for him to be able to shine on his own.

Tetsurou is sure Kei shines brightly on his own.

There are fireflies around again. Fireflies lulling him in his grieving nights for the past few years.

It's the fireflies that are probably with Kei now, shining brightly and dancing among the stars.

***

  


He turns off his television, Kei will scold him if he finds out Tetsurou leaves their television on before bed. _He hopes Kei can still scold him._

His last spring tournament’s recording is finished playing.

He takes it off and puts it back inside its counter.

He still has a lifetime to play it over and over again.

***

_Thank goodness, I wasn’t wrong._ His old self said.

He wished he was wrong.

So he can rewrite their story with a common story.

Where he has a common job with a common salary.

Where Kei has a common eating habit and common sleeping postures.

Where they have common mornings and nights.

Hopefully with a common ending.

Not one with a shadow and cold solitary.

End.

***

  


**Kuroo Tetsurou** : That, my friend, is the end of my undying love story.

Even if it’s in this lifetime, in this universe, or the life next time, or next, or next, or even if I'll be born a hundred times over, still as a human, or in any other alternate universes, my love for Kei will never cease. It will live forever.

Tetsurou puts his phone down and closes his eyes. That’s right. His love for Kei will survive in all times and in all struggles.

Soft chimes come from his phone. Ah, **The Group Chat.**

 **Bokuto Koutarou** : KUROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!

 **Tsukishima Kei** : You killed me

 **Hinata Shouyou** : Why is Tsukishima the one in the youth team? Shouldn’t it be Kageyama? Or me? I don’t want to die though.

 **Kuroo Tetsurou** : Moonshine! It’s for the sake of the story! I just want to show you, that even if death tears us apart, I will always love you, only you <3 <3 <3

 **Kozume Kenma** : I’m never mentioned

 **Yaku Morisuke** : it sucks

 **Haiba Lev** : it sucks

 **Akaashi Keiji** : it sucks

 **Sawamura Daichi** : it sucks

 **Sugawara Koushi** : it sucks

 **Shimizu Kiyoko** : please don’t read in the dark. It’s not good for your eyes

_Kozume Kenma changed the group chat name into **It Sucks**_

**Kuroo Tetsurou** : AGDASFJGADHFDKHFJKAHFKASJFGJDHJGFKJADSF. SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 **Bokuto Koutarou** : I, BOKUTO KOUTAROU, PROMISE THAT I WILL DEVOTE AND PROTECT MY BESTEST BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD KUROO TETSUROU NOW AND FOREVER! KUROOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_Kozume Kenma changed the group chat name into **Kuro’s friend is only Bokuto**_

**Tsukishima Kei** : Why did you kill me?

 **Yaku Morisuke** : it still sucks

 **Akaashi Keiji** : Agree

 **Sugawara Koushi** : why did you kill Tsukishima?

 **Hinata Shouyou** : I will block better than Tsukishima so feature me in the youth team next Kuroo-san! I still don't want to die though.

 **Haiba Lev** : If we're talking about blocking, I'm the one who should be in the youth team Hinata

 **Hinata Shouyou** : what did you say?!!!!!!!

 **Nobuyaki Kai** : all of you are so mean. it's still better than that alien invasion story where Tsukishima saves the whole world

 **Sawamura Daichi** : We all know it's Asahi who saved the world. Ah yeah, it’s still better than that or that cat transformation twilight saga. Isn’t it supposed to be werewolf?

 **Yaku Morisuke** : it still creeps me out

 **Akaashi Keiji** : the one where Kuroo-san pins Tsukishima and eats his heart out?

 **Yaku Morisuke** : don’t remind me!!!

_Kozume Kenma changed the group chat name into **Gore in three parts: Tetsurou Cullen pins and eats Kei Swan**_

**Nishinoya Yuu** : I can be the world's safety force!!

 **Tanaka Ryuunosuke** : I’ll be your subordinate Noya-san!!

 **Yamamoto Taketora** : count me in too sishou!!

 **Kuroo Tetsurou** : FKAHFKJDSFJHAFGGDFJJKAHJAGFJKAGJAGFGFJAJFK!!!!!!!!!!!!

 **Yachi Hitoka** : I’m so sorry to say this... but.. ummmmmmmmmmmmm………. fireflies only exist in summer so………..………..….

 **Tsukishima Kei** : Still, why did you kill me? Why didn't you kill yourself?

_Kozume Kema changed the group chat name into **In Loving Memory of Kuroo Tetsurou and his terrible story**_


End file.
